Kenya Launches Ksh25.8Billion Watershed Project Targeting 12 Counties
Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Barasa, assisted by PS Gitonga Mugambi, cuts a celebratory cake as other representatives look on during the launch of KEWASIP in Nairobi on November 2, 2026.
The Government has called for accelerated implementation of a Sh25.8 billion watershed restoration programme targeting 12 counties, as Kenya steps up efforts to restore degraded landscapes and achieve 30 per cent national tree cover by 2032.
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Dr. Deborah Barasa said the Kenya Watershed Services Improvement Project (KEWASIP) would strengthen environmental conservation, improve water security and create sustainable economic opportunities for communities.
Speaking during the official launch of the five-year programme in Nairobi, Barasa said the initiative was a critical investment in restoring the country’s ecosystems and strengthening resilience against climate change.
The project is supported by US$200 million in financing from the World Bank and seeks to expand sustainable land and watershed management while improving livelihoods in the participating counties.
“Environmental degradation is therefore not merely a conservation concern; it is an economic and development challenge,” said Barasa.
She noted that Kenya’s forests, water towers, rivers and wetlands were essential to domestic water supply, agriculture, industrial production and energy generation, but faced increasing pressure from land degradation, unsustainable land-use practices and climate change.
The Cabinet Secretary said the Government’s 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, which seeks to increase national tree cover to 30 per cent by 2032, was supported by the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy 2025–2032.
The strategy provides a framework for restoring 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes, with the Government adopting an integrated approach that goes beyond tree planting to address the underlying causes of environmental degradation.
Barasa said KEWASIP would focus on five priority landscapes: Marsabit Hills, Marmanet Hills, Nyambene Hills, Chyulu Hills and Shimba Hills, covering Baringo, Meru, Kitui, Tharaka Nithi, Samburu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Makueni, Garissa, Kwale, Tana River and Laikipia counties.
The project will strengthen policy, legal and regulatory frameworks, promote sustainable landscape management and build institutional and technical capacity for effective implementation.
The Cabinet Secretary urged participating counties to take ownership of the programme, integrate its activities into their development priorities and ensure interventions respond to local community needs.
She said intergovernmental participation agreements had been signed and County Project Coordination Units established to coordinate implementation.
Barasa called on counties to prioritise the protection of critical hilltops, riparian areas and environmentally sensitive landscapes, while promoting sustainable management of community forests, agroforestry and urban forestry.
She further urged implementing agencies to accelerate activities, noting that KEWASIP became effective on December 23, 2025.
“Community participation, accountability and sustainability must remain central to this project,” she said, adding that women, youth and vulnerable groups should benefit from the economic opportunities created through restoration activities.
Barasa said the project’s success would be measured beyond the number of trees planted or hectares targeted, with emphasis on seedling survival, improved watershed functions, ecosystem recovery and enhanced community livelihoods.
The Ministry has also finalised Adopt-a-Forest Guidelines to encourage private sector organisations, institutions and communities to contribute to long-term conservation.
The World Bank representative reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to supporting Kenya’s environmental restoration agenda, noting that healthy forests were closely linked to sustainable employment and economic growth.
The representative observed that every dollar invested in KEWASIP was expected to generate up to US$20 in economic and environmental value, highlighting the potential returns from investing in ecosystem restoration.
Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Chief Executive Officer and Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko said the project would support the Presidential directive to plant 15 billion trees and increase national tree cover to 30 per cent by 2032.
He said restoring gazetted forests, degraded catchments and community landscapes would provide a foundation for achieving the national targets.
Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jane Njuguna emphasised the importance of scientific research and community capacity-building in ensuring sustainable restoration.
“Our main agenda is to be sound in the way that we approach this project,” she said, noting that communities needed technical training to manage nurseries, undertake restoration activities and sustain tree-based value chains.
Laikipia Governor and Council of Governors (CoG) Water and Natural Resources Committee Chairperson Joshua Irungu reaffirmed county governments’ commitment to the programme, saying environmental conservation required cooperation between the national and devolved governments.
CoG Chief Executive Officer Mary Mwiti said county governments were central to the programme’s success, particularly in coordinating local interventions and mobilising communities.
Principal Secretary for the State Department for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho said the project would complement existing water infrastructure through upstream watershed restoration, which would improve water availability downstream.
Kimotho said the State Department would support the identification and development of water-harvesting structures, including dams and water ponds, in the targeted landscapes.
He cited ongoing water infrastructure investments in Marsabit, including a 750,000-cubic-metre water reservoir, saying complementary watershed restoration would strengthen water availability and support livestock production during drought.
He urged implementing agencies to build on existing infrastructure and strengthen coordination with county governments to avoid duplicating interventions.
National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) Chief Executive Officer Samson Toniok and Water Resources Authority representative Phoebe Orina also underscored the importance of inter-agency collaboration, community safeguards and sustainable resource mobilisation.
The project brings together the State Department for Forestry, Kenya Forest Service, KEFRI, National Environment Management Authority, NETFUND, Water Resources Authority, Kenya Wildlife Service, State Department for Wildlife and State Department for Irrigation.
Healthy watersheds are essential to Kenya’s water security, food production, energy generation and biodiversity conservation, with the programme seeking to link environmental restoration with economic development and improved community resilience.
